Battlefield 3

Interesting UI, marvelous sound, good multiplayer.  But more than a few issues.  Why do I have to have a computer to play online?  Why should I have to have an EA Origin account?  What if I didn't own a computer and wanted to play online?  Why for goodness sake has EA decided once again to include a 4 page instruction manual, with no control description.  Want to know what button does what? too bad you can't.  Oh and the buttons have moved since the last Battlefield.


I'd say if you like shooters it should pass mustard.  Doesn't for me though, I refuse to buy EA games until someone decides to actually include an instruction manual and not just a printed EULA.

Courageous (2011)

Have you seen this film? no? why not?  I can't tell you about the plot because that's just spoiling it.  I can say don't forget to bring the tissues because it's a tearjerker.

Go see this film as soon as you can.  Passes Mustard!

The Lion King in 3D

This is probably one of the best examples of making a previously 2d only movie (with some already strong field of view elements) and making it 3d.  The opening of the movie gave me goose bumps just as big as the first time I watched it.  Luckily I'm old enough to remember the first time I watched this movie.  Every one I know has a tally of how many times they've watched The Lion King (my cousin did 8 times in theatres first time around), and mine just went to 27 (now 2 in theater, 3 on TV, and 21 times on VHS).  If I had the money I'd go and see it three more times just to match my current age.  The Lion King essentially defined an age of Disney Movies that started with The Great Mouse Detective and and continued all the way through until now.  There's some really great movies out there, but Lion King set the bar for hand drawn feature animations a little too high, and adapting it for 3d just made my week.

Passed Mustard? Wholeheartedly yes.

Also The Great Mouse Detective is the dawn of the modern age of Disney Animation, with it's use of computer generated backgrounds and full scene computer animation.  Black Cauldron was the end of the Classic Age of Disney Animation because they used the multi-pane camera and only a bit of computer assistance for tracking movement, well that and I was 5 when it was released.

Smurfs

Every time I say the word Smurfs I always attach a great big exclamation point on the end of it.  I just can't help turning that one word into an exclamation.  Smurfs!  SMURFS!  SMUUUUURRRFFFS!!

Well anyway this is one movie I was loathe to see.  I'm not a big Neil Patrick Harris fan.  I know he's a big star now, and super funny to boot, but I just don't think he's a great actor.  Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to put down NPH, because let's be honest he is cool.  In fact he's not a bad actor either.  But his limitations seemed to shine a little easier in this CG and live action flick.  For instance there's a couple scenes where he doesn't focus on any of the smurfs or any where near anything that's going on.  Not really a failure, cause I wouldn't be able to act next to nothing, but it did take me out of the moment for a split second. There's a large amount of humour just built into the Smurfs themselves, and since they aren't above making fun of themselves, they draw attention to the fact that it's 100 male smurfs and one female smurfette right at the beginning of the film.  Also Hank Azaria plays the perfect Gargamel in live action, and Frank Welker as the voice of Azarel really could not have been better. (Who else played?  Go check out the IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472181/)

Now down to the important part: Is it worth seeing?  Yes it passed mustard.   I had a lot of fun watching this film, despite the ridiculousness of have 5 Smurfs who are 3 apples tall (but look only 2 apples tall) running around NYC.

Xanth

now I realize that I should actually read all the books in a series before reviewing the whole series, but I'm just such a fan now and from the first time I read the trilogy (which only took 24 hours), that I decided to give you blog followers a little heads up and a a thumbs up on this expansive series.  It started out as a simple 3 book triilogy, then the first 5 book trilogy ever (having made the first 3 books one book helped), and now it's over 33 books long covering whole centuries of Xanthology and Xanth history, with such humour and dedication to detail that you can't help but admire Piers Anthony's raw Talent.  With a capital 'T' meaning it's his magic talent, and trust me you'd get that reference if you read the books.  I won't be popping in all 33 books as links on this post, but I will link the first three books here, since really they are what got me hooked, and the whole rest of the series doesn't make quite as much sense with out them.

Ok, so no plot synopsis, but this series really does  pass mustard.  Get it!

Oh, I should mention that although it isn't exactly High Fantasy (Tolkien et. al.) it is awfully close. I can't list every type of creature and semi-sentient carnivorous plant, but trust me it has everything but Noble Elves, and Digging Dwarves. Actually, later on in the series it does have noble elves, but they are small, not human sized.


  

Drama At Inish

I had a chance to see another play at the Shaw Festival this season, and if you know me, you know how I got the tickets.  A little back story is needed here, see, Inish is a small town in South Ireland, near the town of Cork where the author grew up.  The date isn't specified in the play, but you can tell that it's a more modern play to be found at the Shaw Festival this year (2011).  This play was written for an Irish audience in an Irish Theatre, by an already accomplished playwright that had turned out quite a few comedic plays before this.  That being said, the almost entirely Canadian cast tended more towards a lilting Maritime accent than a good Irish Brogue.  It does fit the play just fine, and doesn't distract after the first few utterances of "OI".

Definitely Passes Mustard.  If you have a chance to check out this single setting play this season you should do it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

I just loved this movie. A sprawling live action musical epic if ever there was one! Reminds me of Bedknobs and Broomsticks  and Mary Poppins.  In fact this is from the exact same era as those two films, so of course they have the same huge production value.  Who could have figured that the man who invented James Bond could make a sprawling story about a magical car.  Ok well, maybe it's not that far off from James' supercar with the rocket launchers and ejector seat.  It's just so cool.  Sure it's a children's movie, and that alone should earn it the Honey mustard, but that's not all it has going for it.  There's some pretty sophisticated themes and running jokes in this movie that I'm not sure a child could appreciate (having not watched it with a child I wouldn't know).

Honey of a Mustard!  Find it, buy it, show it to as many people as possible!

The Nutty Professor (1963)

Jerry Lewis plays a simple scientist who discovers a formula that makes you fabulous. Does it have romance? yes. Does it have a good Jekyll/Hyde scene? yes. Does it have a severe contrast between Jekyll and Hyde? yes. So it has all the things a transformation story requires to be a good film. In fact it has so much going for it my girlfriend didn't pause it once. (my girlfriend likes to pause a movie 3 or 4 times so she can talk about something other than the movie for a while.) We were just glued to the TV while we watched this. It's such a good movie, even some 37 years later.

PASSED MUSTARD, buy this!

National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1

Okay, so there's a burned out cop that recently lost his partner, and another cop just 1 week from retirement. They get smooshed together as partners to solve a simple murder case (that everyone says is a suicide, but there's obvious signs of struggle), that explodes into a huge drug bust. Sound like a good movie? Well it is, but not because of the plot, it's because it's just so funny that I did not stop laughing. Of course it helps to know a bunch of other buddy cop movies, like the Lethal Weapon series, just to get some of the jokes. The longest running joke in the whole movie has got to be the names of the star players. Samuel L. Jackson as Luger and Emilio Estevez as Colt, both named after gun companies famous for one particular style of gun. If you don't know a luger is a german repeater pistol (uses clips) and the Colt is famous for a .45 caliber revolver.

Anyway I ought to tell you that this film does pass mustard. I'd tell you to rent it, but by now you'd have to buy the thing. Just check out the link in the post, and if you do buy it I get some cashback!

Bulletproof

Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler in a cop buddy movie that's not a spoof, a rip off, or even a slack jawed comedy. It's a well written, well acted movie, with some jokes tossed in to lighten the mood. I like Damon Wayans a lot in this movie because he's not trying to be over the top funny (Homey the clown). I can't really think of anything I didn't like about this movie. Even my girlfriend liked it (once she actually started watching it).

It starts out with two criminals running from the cops, and the get away by parking it while out of sight. Then Damon Wayans who was driving calls a different cop over and asks for directions to Disney land. Next scene they are in a bar where Adam Sandler picks a fight and Damon Wayans jumps in to save him. Next thing you know Damon Wayans is picked up by two police officers and we find out that he is an undercover cop try to take down a drug lord. So to make a long story short, things go down during the bust, Sandler Shoots wayans in the head, Wayans recovers, Sandler runs, and when they finally meet up again they try to take down the Drug Lord again.

Ok, sop this movie passes mustard, and is actually one of my favourite buddy movies. If you can't rent it, I suggest you buy it from the link included here.

New Chrome App: Angry Birds review

That's right, the best iPhone and Android app has now come to the best browser. Okay all of those are subjective, but I just love this game. I've gotten 3 other people hooked on it using just a 2nd gen ipod touch and a freebie. I've played just the first level so much that no one I know has beaten my high score. And most people stop trying after an hour. I'd definitely say this one passes mustard, so pick it up for free while you still can: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aknpkdffaafgjchaibgeefbgmgeghloj?hl=en-US

Liar Liar (1997)

Liar Liar was such a famous movie when it came out, and Jim Carrey such huge star at the time, that I'm kind of surprised that you are reading this review. No really, don't bother reading this, the movie passed mustard, even 14 years later.

Let The Bullets Fly (2010)

I am returning once again to review a Chow Yun-Fat movie. This one really showcases his acting, since he plays two roles in it. But it's not about his character as much as it is about a bandit who stole a "governor-ship", who has to deal with a 1920s gangster in a small Chinese town. I could follow the plot even with the fast sub-titles and gating Cantonese. So this time I'm not going to give a full plot synopsis, but rather just get to passing the mustard.

It definitely passed mustard. This is a great new movie, it showcases all the best parts of plot twists, and all the actors' talents. I'd say not only is it worth a watch, but several.

Hard Boiled

Chow Yun-Fat is Inspector Tequila in this action-packed romp through the seedy underbelly of Hong Kong. Ok, so it's full of guns, it's directed by a now famous director, and stars a now famous actor, in probably one of his most famous roles. Yeah I'd say this movie really did put a lot of people on the map. Making this a pretty famous movie. Well I watched it with girlfriend, as I do most action movies I review, because to be honest I never know if they are fun for anybody else. Well she didn't have fun. So I guess it's not a great movie...

Well actually it is in a different way. It's full of intrigue and plot twists, you never know exactly who's on who's side and why they are shooting at the main character. There's a lot of shooting in this movie. I timed it from when the credits roll and when they started shooting people it was under 6 minutes. This has got to be one of the more violent of the movies I've reviewed so far, in fact my girlfriend said it was too loud because of all the gunshots. Oh well.

I'd say this passed mustard, but only for action movie lovers. Maybe gun nuts, and Chow Yun-Fat fans would like it too, I wouldn't know anything about that. If you want to watch it with a friend, make sure they have an idea of what they are watching before going 3 hours of gunplay and soft talking with bad voice over.

Once Upon A Time in China

Now I'm going to try to review all 6 of these movies at once, since I watched all 6 in a row. Why? Because I just happen to have that kind of time, that's why. I'll admit it took me a couple days to do it though, even I can't sit through 12 hours of kung fu movies without getting a little antsy. And yes these are definitely kung fu movies, don't let anyone try and tell you different. You can tell because the secondary characters are not well thought out, and the romance leaves much to be desired. I do like that it is a continuous plot throughout these movies, and Jet Li seems to suit this role quite well. I also like that the setting changes occasionally, on the even numbered movies it seemed. Oh I should point out that this series is almost entirely about Wong Fei Hung, a big folk hero in China from about the same time as the "Wild West" for us North Americans. That sticks it in the late 1800s, which considering my family history, isn't that long ago. Long enough though.

Any way our hero Wong Fei Hung, played by Jet Li, is an army trainer, a doctor, a martial arts expert, and a peace-maker. He is essentially the perfect Chinese hero, well-learned, well-meaning, flexible, and good at kung fu. All the things I'm not, barring the well-meaning part.So we follow along with him while his city falls apart from gangsters, his country falls apart from foreigners, and his life falls apart when he falls in love with his "aunt", which is actually his cousin, but only by marriage, and not hers. I guess you have to watch the first movie a couple times to get that one straight, because the first time I just didn't get it.

The rest of the movies are quite similar, but don't generally follow the same plot as the first movie. I'd say all in all though that each of these pass mustard in their own right, but the first 3 are my favourites!

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

A High Cost New York Real Estate purchaser is sent a Gentoo Penguin by his dead father. Hilarity ensues! I went to see it in theatre, and loved every minute of it, even though I laughed at times when no one else was laughing. There were quite a few bits that tickled me, like the assistant with a thing for words that start with 'P', and the penguin that dreams of flying. Many little touches that just brought the whole movie together. I'd say that this is a good rental, a good purchase, and even a nice movie to go see. It is a family movie, and if you want to compare it to other Jim Carrey movies, think Liar Liar without the sex and Penguins thrown in.

I'd say this definitely passes mustard. Ranked as Honey Mustard, cause it just such a sweet movie!

Sidekicks (1992)

Chuck Norris and the guy who played Lucas on SeaQuest DSV. Definitely a winning combination, but while I was trying to watch this with my girlfriend, she mentioned a few things to me. First, she said that the dream sequences were a little out there, and I agree with her on that one. Second she said that it followed the plot line of Karate Kid a little too closely. Now I do agree that this is a Karate Kid type movie, where the plot follows this formula: Boy is sad, boy finds bad martial arts expert, good martial arts expert finds boy, boy beats up bad martial arts expert's students. In fact I've seen a dozen Kung Fu and Jackie Chan movies with this same formula. in fact I call all of those Karate Kid type movies, just because that's the most famous one. However I have to say that this is one of my favourites in the whole genre.

It starts off in a dream, so don't let that bother you, and then it progresses so that you find out that this kid Barry (You know, Jonathan Brandis who played Lucas on SeaQuest DSV) is a dreamer with asthma who is picked on because he daydreams about Chuck Norris. Yes that's right Chuck Norris. He was huge in 1992! One of the most famous action heroes of all time, and that was before he became "Walker, Texas Ranger" on TV. In fact I think this movie helped springboard his career from being "Chuck Norris, the action hero" to "Chuck Norris THE Chuck Norris". Actually, that's one of the lines in the movie: "Chuck Norris? THE Chuck Norris? Lady I don't think that Chuck Norris is going to be your fourth teammate just because you wrote down his name on this form." And Chuck Norris says: "Why? Do you have a problem with that, Sonny?" Anyway that's near the end of the movie during the "boy beats students" section of the Karate Kid Type Movie. There's a bunch of stuff in the middle where an older Chinese man (who happens to be Barry's teacher's uncle) tells Barry some profound things, and teaches Barry karate. Also there's a couple love stories thrown in, where Winni from Wonder Years like Barry, and Barry likes Winni from Wonder Years, oh and Barry's dad (Beau Bridges) like Barry's teacher and vice versa.

Ok, third paragraph, you know what that means? It means I tell you whether or not Sidekicks passes or fails. I loved it both now and when I first watched it in 1992, and I think this movie Passed Mustard. It's got Chuck Norris as Chuck Norris, it has to pass, but if I were to rank it though, I'd only give it Prepared Mustard considering that my girlfriend didn't like it, and it's quite predictable.

The Phantom (1996)

With Billy Zane as The Phantom, Kristy Swanson as the love interest, Catherine Zeta-Jones as a pirate, a great writer (Jeffery Boam), an accomplished director, and a veritable who's who of working actors from the mid nineties, there really is no reason why this shouldn't have gotten 5 stars, two thumbs up, and a mention in the morning paper. It didn't get those things, but what it did get was Billy Zane in a purple rubber suit running around on top of cars from the 1930s in the middle of downtown New York, just to grab a horse from a mounted policeman, ride through Central Park, and jump in a cage with a Bengal Tiger. Which by the way happens to be his friend, cause The Phantom is from the same jungle! Convenient I know, but that's one of the reasons I like this movie. It's got lots of action, mild romance, pirates, laser shooting skulls, airplanes, horses, and last but not least a good linear plot!

That's right I'm applauding a predictable plot line. This is the movie where it works best. No messing about with needless twists and turns, the good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and they are both introduced early enough in the film that you don't wonder why you're watching. The only twist I can actually think of is near the end, and it's only an allegiance switch on a secondary character. Not a major plot twist, but a good little side note at the end of the day.

Okay so here's where we get down to business: Did the movie Pass the Mustard? Yes, in fact I'd give a jar of spicy brown to watch this movie, it's that good.

Bridesmaids (2011)

I got dragged to what I originally thought was a chick flick by my girlfriend. I was surprised that she wanted to see it cause normally she only watches action or comedy movies. Turns out I was wrong this is a pretty funny comedy movie, with a bit of a sad story thrown in. Many parts of this reminds me of many of the "guy" movies I've watched over the years, and still others remind me of 27 dresses and a few other "girl" movies I've seen. I wasn't rolling in the aisles laughing, but mostly because I'm not a big fan of awkward comedy. And there's a lot of that chest wrenching stupidly awkwardness that I just don't like. On one occasion I was actually groaning, because it was a Frasier level of situational awkwardness. However that one scene doesn't condemn the whole movie, especially with the love story, the "best friend" story, and the betrayal story rolled in. I'd say this movie Passes Mustard, but wait till you can get it cheap.

The Ice Pirates (1984)

Well if you know me, you know the types of movies I like to watch. This is a B-Movie about pirates in space, so of course I had to watch it. You may recognize a few familiar faces, like Ron Perlman, Anjelica Huston, Mary Crosby, Michael D. Roberts, and Bruce Vilanche. Then again you may never have heard of any of these people, but believe me when I say most of them are good actors (except Bruce Vilanche). I’m not going to bore you with a long winded plot synopsis, so I’ll try my hand at a short one. There’s pirates in space who steal ice because that’s how the “Templars” ship water. Ice is important because all other sources of water are dried up. There’s a mythical planet called “The Seventh Planet” that has enough water for the whole galaxy. Ok, now I know that this back story is complete bollocks, but it’s all we have so stay with us.

Now I found this movie quite light-hearted and fun, with many of the same elements that made star wars 4-6 and stargate sg-1 fun. It even had a little bit of a Mel Brooks scene in it where the two protagonists are supposed to have been “Lobotamized” or castrated but weren’t and they had to talk in high squeaky voices or they’d give themselves away. Near the end there’s a campy time dilation fight sequence where all the main characters get older and older very quickly. I was laughing at that and at the way Bruce Vilanche’s head kept getting carried around by his hair. All in all I’d say this movie passed mustard. If you can’t find it to buy, at least rent it.

The Age of Dragons (2011)

It's Moby Dick, with dragons instead of whales, and a love story thrown
in for good measure. I've seen many renditions of Moby Dick before,
from an abridged Reader's Digest version to an illustrated children's
book. From The Simpsons to a one man play at The Royal George Theatre
in Niagara on the Lake. I haven't liked them all, and I certainly can't
say I've enjoyed them all, but I can say that this is a bold new take on
this classic whaling tale. They've kept the character's names the same,
only changing Moby Dick's moniker "The Great White Whale" to "The Great
White Dragon", since now all whales are dragons. And Ahab's daughter as
a first mate is something I just don't remember in the old story.

The ship is a great lumbering beast of an armoured waggon, that runs on
the "vitriol" (am I spelling this right?) or flame juice that the
dragons use to spit fire. In it's purest form it explodes with contact
to air. It's a fine replacement for whale oil in the plot line. But
the addition (so I think) of Ahab's daughter just didn't do anything at
all for me. It seems the only reason they stuck her in there was so we
could have a teary moment near the end of the film. I do however like
how closely Ahab's plot line carries through, and I especially like the
job Danny Glover did playing him.

I think that even through all the flaws, the portrayal of the Moby Dick
story is strong enough to warrant this film to pass mustard!

Guest review of Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (2011)

This movie is about a pirate played by Johnny Depp who goes to the fountain of youth. If you like a lot of action and adventure you will love this movie. Blackbeard which was a new character in this series played an amazing role as a selfish, mean old pirate who only cared about himself and no one else but yet he had a long lost daughter who loved him very much and would do anything for him but he would never do the same. All he cared about was getting to the fountain of youth to fulfil his own needs.

One crew members was a Christian and he was trying to show that being selfish is not the way to live. He was stuck on the ship and on his journey he met a mermaid who at first he captured for the crew so that Captain Blackbeard could use her but along the way the Christian realized that he loved her and wanted forgiveness for capturing her. He realized that she was not evil, she was just scared and attacking the crew was her way of protecting herself and her fellow mermaids.

Johnny Depp. What can I say. I LOVE it. He is the best, funniest, yes and even the cutest pirate ever. His role has been amazing all through all four Pirates (which you cannot say for some movies). Again he is trying to get his ship back so he goes to the fountain of youth to reclaim his leadership and to defeat Blackbeard. On his journey he meets a past love played by Penelope Cruz who travels with him to the fountain. She is a theft who is in love with Jack Sparrow. It is a must see film. The plot line, the characters, the scenery is fantastic, even the way they tided each movie together from the very first Pirates to now. I could see them making another Pirates in the future and Johnny Depp is the only one who can play Jack perfectly. He is truly an amazing actor. This passed mustard.

Reviewed by: Christina Lenc

Opening for reviewers.

I will be opening up the reviewing on here, if you want to join in just contact me and I will tell you the email address to post reviews.

Thor (2011)

I just watched Thor on release day, in 3D, at 7pm.  Guess what as much as I was looking forward to seeing how Marvel Studios has rendered one of my favourite comic book heroes, I feel that this one was just a little too bland for my liking. It was just so cut and dry for plot, and yes the action sequences were huge, but I found many of them far too visually busy.  I'm often a fan of these huge budget Marvel Studios films, so believe me when I say I felt disappointed when I find out that the best part of the movie was when it ended.

Did not pass mustard for the 3D theatre release.  3D does not add enough value, and many parts felt flat.

Andromeda (2000) (TV)

Ok so this is the first time I've reviewed a TV show, so just bear with me.  I like it. Passed Mustard!

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

I haven't read the book, but I have seen the movie!  This is a great film, one of my favourites from the 2000s.  It has just everything that could possibly make a good movie: sailing, love, swords, guns, treachery, prison escape, pirates, sword fights, hidden treasure, French Gentry (counts and countesses), revenge turned, and a happy ending.  I'd like to go on and on about this movie, but you just have to experience it.  My simple text can not possibly do it any justice.  This film doesn't just pass mustard, but rather is one of the few dijon!  Find it and watch it!

DragonLance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

There was a time when I loved DragonLance stories and I couldn't get enough of them.  Now almost a decade later I find that I still like DragonLance.  The plot of this movie follows the original book by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman very closely.  If you are interested I have a link to them on Amazon below.I like the art style, a cross between hand drawn cartoon and semi-realistic CGI.  I also like Jason Marsden as Tasselhof Burrfoot.  He was always one of my favourite characters and he is played perfectly.  It seems as though many of the actors researched their roles before playing them, and it really does pay off.  Those CGI draconians are pretty awesome looking, I wouldn't want to fight any of them.

This movie definitely Passed Mustard!  But then again I love DragonLance!

  

7-Eleven Coffee

Passed Mustard!

Showdown in Little Tokyo

The smartest action hero and Bruce Lee's son are two LA cops that  go up against the Yakuza in little Tokyo.  And they go FEET FIRST!  Whatever that means.  I mean it's in the tag line and it sounds cool and all but what on earth are you talking about?  There's more to do with feet in a veggie tales movie and they don't even have any.  Okay, that aside, there's some good things in this movie and some misses.  I like that Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are in it.  In fact that's one of the saving graces here.  There is some great dialog that made me laugh a lot.  I'd say the cast is a major selling point.  However the special effects were just not up to the level of the writing.  There's one point where the bad guys are crushing someone in a car and it really takes you out of the movie to see the obvious dummy inside the car.  All in all though, I think this movie passed mustard.

Equilibrium

So there's these guys who studied gunfights and find out that there is a mathematical way to avoid getting shot while being able to shoot the greatest amount of enemies.  They call this the Gun Kata.  They are clerics of The Tetragammatron, or some such thing.  They shoot a chemical into their own necks that cancels out all emotion.  Why? So there's no war.  Ok so it's not the greatest plot ever but it leads to some of the most amazing action sequences ever.  Plus it makes the lead actor really shine through.  Only a truly great actor/director combo could make a plot line so out there and so ridiculous ring true.  Examples: This movie, and the Matrix movies.  Oh and speaking of matrix movies, Equilibrium doesn't have any bullet time shots, and now most of the CGI looks decidedly dated, but all in all this one passes the mustard.

Side note: today I spilled mustard on my new leather coat.

Magic Kingdom For Sale...SOLD!

Pretty much the whole plot is in the title there.  A lawyer from Chicago decides to buy a magic kingdom of fantasy and wonder.  Excitement and danger follow.  This is the first of the Landover series, and I like the pacing not too fast and not too slow. It's no dijon, but read it anyway, it passed mustard.

The Mechanik (2005)

Starring Dolph Lundgren, written by Dolph Lundgren and directed by some guy you've never heard of, that's right Dolph Lundgren.  This movie goes by another name: "The Russian Specialist".  I'd like to go over the plot first so here goes:  A mechanic known to be a paratrooper looses his family in a little russian town by russian mafia drug deal gone bad, he seeks and gets revenge on the drug lord by shooting him in the face, or so the mechanik thinks.  7 years pass and he's a mechanic in L.A. where an older russian lady asks for help in getting her daughter back from this same drug lord who killed his family.  Right, so that's out of the way.  The rest of the movie is about travel and guns, so isn't really important to the plot.  There's not a lot of explosions, just one big one about halfway through, but there's plenty of gun play and some authentic looking fight scenes. I love the slow start, and easy build up to violence.  Since the plot gets taken care of early on you can just turn the thing off if it gets too violent for you.  I say this movie is a win and actually passed the mustard.

First post!

This is a pass / fail movie, video game and book review blog.  If you like any of these things, you should check here to see if it passes muster, or in my case Passed Mustard.